How to Check if a GST Bill Is Genuine: 4-Step Checklist

Updated 17 October 2026 · By Ashok Sachdev · Sources: GST portal taxpayer search, CGST Rule 46, e-Invoice QR Code Verifier (NIC)

Shop owners need this check on both sides of the counter: when a supplier's bill arrives, because a fake or wrong bill means lost input tax credit, and when a customer asks whether your own bill is "pakka". This guide gives a five-minute checklist anyone can follow without logging in anywhere.

Step 1: verify the GSTIN on the GST portal

1. Open the Search Taxpayer page on the GST portal. No login is needed.
2. Choose "Search by GSTIN/UIN" and enter the 15-character GSTIN from the bill.
3. Check the result against the bill.

The first two digits of a GSTIN are the state code (for example 24 for Gujarat, 27 for Maharashtra), and characters 3 to 12 are the seller's PAN. A GSTIN that does not follow this pattern is wrong. More on the format: GST नंबर क्या होता है (Hindi).

Step 2: check the bill itself

A tax invoice must carry the particulars in Rule 46 of the CGST Rules. Quick checks:

• Title: "Tax Invoice". A composition dealer issues a "Bill of Supply" and must not show GST.
• Invoice number and date: a serial number of up to 16 characters and a date.
• Your details on a B2B bill: your name, address and GSTIN, exactly right, or your input tax credit will not match.
• HSN and description of each item, quantity and taxable value.
• Tax split: CGST + SGST at half the rate each when the seller and place of supply are in the same state; IGST at the full rate between states. A bill showing all three, or IGST from a seller in your own city to your shop, needs a second look.
• Arithmetic: taxable value × rate = tax; check one line with the GST calculator.
• Rate: matches the item's current rate; see the HSN and GST rate list.

Step 3: for e-invoices, scan the QR code

Sellers whose turnover has crossed ₹5 crore must issue B2B invoices as e-invoices with an IRN and a signed QR code (see who needs e-invoicing). The government's e-Invoice QR Code Verifier app, linked from the e-invoice portal (einvoice1.gst.gov.in), reads the QR code and shows the supplier and buyer GSTINs, document number and date, invoice value and IRN. Compare these with the printed bill. If the app says the signature is invalid, ask the seller for a corrected invoice. Walk-in (B2C) bills from shops are normally not e-invoices, so they have no IRN.

Step 4 (registered buyers): check GSTR-2B

If you are GST-registered, the supplier's bill should appear in your GSTR-2B after they file GSTR-1. A bill that never appears there means no input tax credit until the supplier reports it. Follow up early in the month. See GSTR-2B reconciliation.

Common reasons a GST bill is not valid

For how sellers fix wrong bills, read how to cancel or amend a GST invoice.

Make your own bills easy to verify

Customers trust a bill that shows your GSTIN, a clear invoice number, HSN codes and a correct tax split. RichPOS prints your GSTIN and the buyer's GSTIN (when saved on the customer), keeps HSN and rate on every item, numbers bills automatically, and gives your CA a GSTR-1 report that splits B2B, B2C and credit notes. It does not generate e-invoices (IRN). Try it in the 30-day free trial or see pricing.

Bottom line

A genuine GST bill comes from an Active GSTIN, matches the portal's name and address, carries the Rule 46 details with the right tax split, and, for large B2B sellers, has a valid e-invoice QR code. Two minutes on the GST portal saves a lost credit later.